Craving Cecilia (The Aces' Sons 6)

After a few minutes of halfheartedly picking at my food, Mark tossed his napkin on his empty plate and stood. “Come on, Cec,” he said, putting his hand out to me. “This is getting’ painful to watch.”

“Thank God,” Forrest said, shoveling a huge bite of potatoes into his mouth. “She was givin’ me a nervous stomach.”

I got up without argument and let him lead me through the tables.

“There she is,” my mom said, wiggling her hands in a give-me motion. “Have you eaten? I can hold her while you get some food.”

“We got some,” I said as I handed Olive off. I braced myself as I turned to Lily.

“Hey, little sister,” I said softly.

“It took you long enough to come over here,” she said, jumping to her feet. “Jesus, it’s like I have the plague or something.”

I let out the breath I’d been holding as she wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me into an awkward hug.

“Missed you,” I said, leaning my head against hers.

“Missed you, too,” she replied, letting me go. “Back to cause trouble, huh?”

The words were offhand. Her tone and body language were easy and friendly. Everyone knew it was a joke.

But I still felt my hands curling into fists and my spine stiffening. “No use coming back otherwise,” I replied, my tone and manner just as easy as hers.

Except, suddenly, the entire feel of the table changed.

“Let’s just not,” Rose called out from her place at the next table. “I’m too fuckin’ tired to deal with it.”

“Not sure what you have to deal with besides your boyfriend’s wrecked leg,” I said back, meeting her eyes.

“Yeah, say thanks to your baby daddy for that,” she said drolly, leaning back in her seat.

“Baby,” Mark said in warning, his hand fisting in the back of my shirt.

“That’s enough, Rose,” my mom said.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I spat, looking at Rose. “From what I understand, your ex is the reason your boyfriend’s walking with a limp. At least your taste has improved, but hey, it couldn’t have gotten any worse, right?”

She was on her feet before the words had even left my mouth.

“Sit your ass down,” Grease ordered, pointing at his daughter. “Jesus Christ, it’s like you’re in high school again.”

“Maybe you should head back to San Diego and deal with your own shit,” Rose said as she dropped back into her seat. “Looks like you’ve got your old bodyguard back anyway. Hey, Mouth.”

I could take the way she was looking at me, the way she felt the need to chime in when I was trying to talk to my sister, even her bullshit about Olive’s father—but the way she’d looked at Mark and said the nickname that Leo had used to make fun of him when we were kids—put me right over the edge.

“Jealousy is a stinky cologne, Rose,” I said, glancing at Olive. “You should try to cover that up with something.”

Her face paled as she stared at me, and even though she didn’t say anything back—I didn’t feel any satisfaction. I never did after I’d finished verbally sparring with my family. The only thing I felt was relief that it had ended, and guilt about what I’d said.

Rose and Mack had broken up before they were kidnapped because he refused to have any more kids. As far as I knew, that was the only reason they’d been apart—and I’d just used that information that I shouldn’t have known in a way that I knew would shut her up.

“CeeCee,” Lily said, sitting back down beside Leo, “for fuck’s sake.”

I was strung so tightly that I couldn’t even respond. I hated that I’d lost control of my temper so easily. That I’d let Rose goad me into snapping back at her.

“It never fucking ends, does it?” my mom asked tiredly as she got to her feet and handed me Olive. “Just stay away from her while you’re here, alright?”

She walked away from us and I looked to my dad, who got up to follow her. He just raised an eyebrow as he passed me. I ignored the pang of guilt I felt as they walked away. I shouldn’t have used information my mom told me in confidence about Rose, especially when everyone knew my mom was the only one who would’ve told me about it.

“You know,” Leo said conversationally, leaning back in his chair. “You’d think you’d be a little nicer when you’re asking people for help.”

“I didn’t ask her for shit,” I shot back. “And I didn’t ask you, either.”

“No, I guess you didn’t have to ask,” he replied. “You didn’t have to, because you know if you call crying to your pop, you’ve got the whole club behind you no matter what.”

“Stop,” Lily said, reaching out to grab Leo’s thigh.

“Fuck you, Leo,” I replied through my teeth.